Wire-glass machine.



No. 822,357. PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906.

N.FRANZEN.

WIRE GLASS MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1905.

WBTNESSES: M r 1 UNITED STATES PATENT Prion NIOKLAS FBANZEN, or DUNBAR; PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM L. Mu o, or PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

WIRE-GLASS MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Pptent.

Patented June 5, 1906.

Application fllerl 'J'dne 9, 1906. Serial No. 264,493.

the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for making wiresgilass; and the object of my improve ment is t e production of a su erior articlea sheet of w1re-glass in which efects of usual occurrence are overcome.

My improved machine is illustrated diagrammatlcally in the accompanying draw- 1n%s in wh1ch l i e 1 is a longitudinal section thereof; and igs. 2 and 3 are views in elevation an on larger scale of details thereof.

Parts which reappear in the several figures bear the same reference characters in each instance. 4

The machine to which my improvement is applicable includes in its structure a formin surface, upon which molten glass is distributed into a sheet by suitable. means. The forming-surface ispreferably a table 1, and there'is a spreader or means for distributing the glass, referably a forming-roll 2. The table and t e roll are movable withrespect to one another to the end that the roll traversing the surfaceof the table shall form a batch of glass into a plate or sheet. Such an arement is well known. I have indicated t e drawings such relative movability, the table 1 being mounted on wheels 3 to permit the table to travel beneath roll 2. An arrow at indicates the directionin which the table moves ben ath the forming-roll in spreading a sheet or plate. A batch of glass A is teemed in front of roll 2, (in front with respect to its regress over the table.) The material to e incorporated, which in the resent commercial roduct' is a web of wire is fed beneath re 1 2, and, as this roll advances, the sheet, with the included wire, is formed.

In front of forming-roll 2 I arrange a member adapted to maintain the web of wire at the desired distance from the formingsurface durin the operation of the machine, to the end t at in the finished article the wire shall lie in a predetermined and fixed position within the sheet of wire-glass, and

. this member has certain features which will presently be described. ll preferably form this wire-spacing member as a rotatable roll. 4, parallel with roll 2, suitably spaced above -thesurface of table 1, being nearer'thereto than roll 2, and mounted to traverse the table 1n unison with roll 2. I preferably air-- range the rolls 2 and 4 to rotate in a common direction. Suitable means to this end are indicated by sprocket-wheels 5 6 and a connecting-chain 7. The web of wireB, passing from a suitably-arranged chute '8 and :between flattening-rolls 9, is received'upon the surface of roll 4, passes beneath that roll, and enters the ass between roll 2 and the table 1.

A difficu ty heretofore experienced in makin wire-glass is due to the expansion of the re atively cool wire when suddenly surrounded with molten glass, such expansion resulting in the displacement of the wire. 1 g

It is a feature of my im rovement that l heat and expand the wire efore it comes in contact with the molten glass and in so doing eliminate wholly or in part the objectionable expansion of the wire within the body of the glass. To this end-means are furnished for heating roll 4, that the wire passing over its surface shall become heated and expand before entering the 'molten lass.- My" -preferred means for heating rol 4 accomplishes not only the ends alluded to, but accomplishes ends uite distinct and irrgortant,

and these wil presently appear. 011 4 is placed in such proximity toroll 2 that the opposite surfaces of the two rolls form ,a hoper-like receptacle for the molten lass. rom this receptacle the glass is fed ownward by the action of gravity and by the pro ressive movement of the rolls above the tab e is fed into the pass between roll 2 and the table. The roll a rotating in contactwith molten glass becomes heated and imparts heat to the wire passin oyerit's" opposite surface in the manner an for the "Ose described Such an arrangement 0 re ls 2 and a, formin a receptacle for the'batchof molten lass, eeps t e latter compact and protects it from cooling contactwith the table and to a great extent from the air, (thusreventing freezing and avoidingthe defects conse uent thereon.) Furthermore, the batch being thus protected from coolingi successive batches may be cured, and eac will freely. with the g ass remaining in the receptacle. Thus the rolling of larger sheets or a continuous eperation of the ma ce is made possible.

e a wire-spacing member such as roll IEO 4 will alone serve to maintain the web in position as the rolling operation progresses, I prefer when rollin sheets of definite s1ze to employ a clamp or the web at the point where the formation of the sheet begins, such a clamp cooperating with the wire-spacing member to hold the web in place from the be 'nnin of the rollin 0 eration. My prefer i'ied' fo rm of clamp is indicated in the drawings at 10. It consists of a pair of tongs with jaws of sufficientwidth to properly secure the web. These tongs travel with the a table, and their lower jaw is of such dimensions as to hold the web in the desired position above the table. It will be understood that by the tongs employed for this purpose I may draw the completed sheet from the table to the annealing-oven, thus avoiding the necessity of gripping the sheet by another tool, with the consequent liability to mar the sheet. to a greater or less extent.

It has heretofore been proposed to apply tension to the web of wire-netting during the Another feature of my invention conse quent upon the use of such a wire-spacing member as roll I is the possibility of empl'oying in connection therewith means for spreading the web laterallyl as it asses to theglass. By s reading t e web remove unevenness, and may by proper tension expand the wire laterall to compensate in a greater or less degree or thermal expansion alluded to above. My preferred means for accomplishing such. lateral spread consists of'a pair ofbelts 11, equi ped with wire tines, so that they form wire rushes. These b'elt-brushes,as indicated in Fig. 2, are arranged end to'end'and are so placed that as they move they brush against the web B. Means are provided for causing these brushes to brush over the web Bin 0 posite directions from ,the middle of the web aterally outward toward its ed es. My improved means are shown in the rawings and consist of gearing connected with the axle of roll 4. The brushes are preferably arranged to exert their expanding action u on the web while in contact with roll 4. Thus as the roll advances and the wire passes over its surfaces the brushes exert their spreading action.

I claim herein as my invention ,1. In a machine for making wire-glass the sheet thereon, an I said table nearer thereto than sai roll and combination with a forming-surface and a spreader for the glass movable in relation t ereto, of a wire-spacing member arran ed' t ereto, ofa roll arranged to receive the material to be embedded, and to maintain the material to be embedded in the desired position adjacentto the forming-surface, and arranged to 006 erate with the spreader to form a hopperike rece tacle for the molten glass, substantially as escribed.

3. In a machine for making wire-glass the combination with a forming-surface and a spreader for the lass movable in relation thereto, of means or securing one end of the material to be embedded, and a member arranged to 006 erate with said securing means to maintain t e material to be embedded in the desired position adjacent to the formingsurface, and arranged to cooperate with the spreader to form a hopper-like rece tacle'for t e molten glass, substantially as escribed.

4. In a machine for making wire-glass, the

combination. of a forming-table, a roll arranged above said table and movable relative thereto to spread molten glassv into a amember arran ed above adjacent to saidroll and movable in unison with said roll relatively to said table, such member bein suitably spaced above the surface of the ormin table to maintain the fabric at the desire distance therefrom and suitably spaced from the spreading-roll to form therewith a hopper-like receptacle for receivln and sustaimng a batch of molten glass an .for'allowing molten glass to descend y gravity therefrom through the fabric maintained in position as aforesaid to the surface of the forming-table, substantially as described. k j 1 5. In a machine for making wire-glass, the combination of a forming-table and a pair of rolls arranged above said table and in such proximity to one another as to. form ahopperke receptacle wherein molten lass ma be poured and sup' cited by gravity and om which such mo ten glass may descend by gravity between-said rolls to the surface of said forming-table said rolls being arranged to rotate in a common direction and to traverse in unison the surface of the formingglass descending between said rolls, substantially as described.

6. In a machine for making wire-glass the combination of a forming-surface, a roll arranged above said surface rotatable on its axis and movable relative to said formingsurface to s read molten glass in a sheet thereon, an a second roll arranged above said table rotatable on its axis in uniform direction with the spreading-roll and movable in unison with'the spreading-roll relative to said forming-surface and cooperating with the spreadin roll to constitute a hopper-like receptacle W erein molten glass may be retained by gravity and from which the molten glass may descend by gravity to the formingsurface, substantially as described.

7. In a machine for making wire-glass the combination with .-a forming-surface and means for spreading the glass thereon, of a member for receiving the material to be embedded and for maintaining the material to be embedded in the desired position adjacent to the forming-surface, and means for spreading the material to be.embedded laterally upon said member, substantially as described.

8. In a machine for making wire-glass, the combination of a formin -surface, a memberfor receiving the material to be embedded and for maintaining the material to be emmeans for imparting motion to said brushes,

substantially as described.

9. In a machine for making wire-glass, the combination of a forming-surface, .a rotatable roll for receiving the material to be embedded and for maintaining the material to be embedded in the desired position relative to the forming-surface, and means operative u on the rotation of the roll for s reading t e material to be embedded laterally thereon, substantially asdescribed.

10. In a machine for making wire-glass the combination of a forming-s ace, a spreader 'for the glass movable in relation thereto, and

means or holding the material to be embedded as against longitudinal movement and in roper spacial relation to said forming-s ace during the forming operation and for removing from said formmg-surface the finished sheet when the forming operation is completed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

I NICAS FRANZEN. Witnesses W. H. WILLIAMS, Tnos. N. TAnoR. 

